1.1. How do I register? 1.2. Are there any limits on user names? 1.3. I forgot my password. What do I do now? 1.4. What is a “cookie” and why would (or wouldn’t) I want to use them when signing up? 1.5. How do I change my User Profile? 1.6. Do I have to fill in all the information in my User Profile? 1.7. How secure is the personal information in my User Profile? 1.8. Can I change my user name? 1.9. What is an avatar? 1.10. How do I add an avatar by my username in my posts? 1.11. What is a portrait URL? 1.12. How do I add a portrait to my user profile? 1.13. How do I create a footer/signature that will appear in my posts? 1.14. How do I set the board to reflect my time zone? 1.15. I don’t want anyone to see that I’m online ... how do I make myself invisible? 1.16. I haven't received my registration validation email. What should I do?

2.Message Boards

2.1. How do I make the new boards look and act as much as possible like the old TORn boards? 2.2. Can I still collate replies? 2.3. Can I reply to posts that have fallen off of the board? 2.4. Can I search old posts? 2.5. Can I still “mod” a post up or down? 2.6. Is there an ignore list? 2.7. Are there “No Text” and “Spoiler” tags? 2.8. Replying to posts seems slower than on the old boards. Is there any way to speed it up? 2.9. How can I get Markup help? 2.10. Can I use more HTML code than is available in the Advanced Editor or via Markup? 2.11. What do all the icons in the Advanced Editor toolbar do? 2.12. How can I change my default display settings? 2.13. How do I reply to a post? 2.14. How do I start a new thread? 2.15. Can I make my subject line as long as I want? 2.16. What is an email subscription to a forum and why would I want to subscribe? 2.17. What is a watched thread? 2.18. Is there a way I can be notified when someone replies to my posts? 2.19. What are the icons above the subject field used for? 2.20. How do I add a picture to a post? 2.21. How do I upload an attachment? 2.22. How do I add a link to a post? 2.23. How do I use the quote features? 2.24. Oops! I made a mistake in my post … can I fix it? 2.25. Why can’t I edit and/or delete my post? 2.26. My post is gone … why? 2.27. My post was moved … why? 2.28. My post was edited by someone … who can do that and why? 2.29. I changed my avatar, and now nobody can see my posts! What do I do? 2.30. When I click on a post, I get an error saying “The post you attempted to access does not exist,” what do I do? 2.31. How can I mark all the new forum messages as read? 2.32. Are there different options for viewing the forums? 2.33. Are there different options for viewing threads? 2.34. Is there a way to sort messages by the newest post first? 2.35. I’m distracted by all the avatars and footers. Can I turn them off? 2.36. How can I see who is online? 2.37. Is there a member directory? 2.38. Can I sort the member directory? 2.39. I noticed that different users have different titles under their usernames ... what do they mean? 2.40. Why do some threads appear to be on fire? 2.41. Why are there little blue arrows by people’s nicks in the Last Post column in the Main Menu? 2.42. Are there posting guidelines? 2.43. Are there board moderators? 2.44. Can I become a board moderator? 2.45. Will you help me with my homework?

3.Private Messages

3.1. What is Private Messaging? 3.2. How do I send a Private Message to someone? 3.3. How do I know I have a Private Message? 3.4. How do I access my Private Messages? 3.5. How do I manage my Private Message folders? 3.6. Can I search my Private Messages? 3.7. Can I sort my Private Messages? 3.8. Can I turn off the ability for someone to send me “Private Messages”? 3.9. Are Private Messages really private, or can TPTB read them? 3.10. Do people who send me Private Messages see my email address? 3.11. Can I be notified via email that I have a Private Message waiting for me?

1.Registering & User Profiles

1.1 How do I register? Click on the “New Boards” link that will be posted on the old boards temporarily, then permanently in the menu on the left of the TORn header. That will bring you to the main menu page. At the top left of the menu box is the statement: “If you do not have an account, Sign up here!” Click on “Sign up here” to get to the Login page, fill in the information and hit the [Signup!] button. You will receive an email, which you must respond to in order for your registration to be validated. Please note that passwords are case sensitive and duplicate usernames are not allowed. There is also a “Sign me up! Link on the Login page that will accomplish the same thing.

1.2 Are there any limits to usernames? Yes. Usernames are limited to a maximum of 35 characters and a minimum of two characters. No duplicate usernames are allowed. Users who posted on the old TORn boards have ‘first choice’ in keeping their old usernames for up to six months after the new boards go “live.” To get an idea of what names are already taken, go here. Please keep in mind that this is a family friendly board. User names that violate the Terms of Service posted in our Welcome Forum may be deleted. This includes user names that contain the name of your business, website, favorite charity, etc. which are not allowed. 1.3 I forgot my password, what do I do now? Click the Login icon at the top of the screen to get to the Login page. Click on the link at the bottom left that says: “Lost your password?” A new, temporary, password will be generated for you, and sent to the email address you specified when you signed up. After logging in, the temporary password will be lost, so you should change your password immediately upon logging in with the temporary password.1.4 What’s a cookie and why would (or wouldn’t) I want to use them when signing in? A “cookie” is a bit of data stored on your computer through your web browser. The advantage to allowing cookies is that the TORn server can ‘remember’ your settings and other information (such as your username and password). They are generally not a security risk, and only allow your browser to send the data back to the server that originally set it. Reasons you might not want to store cookies include (1) other sites, or “spyware,” may scan them and keep track of where you have been; and (2) it may allow others who have access to the computer you are using to log on to TORn as you without having to enter a username or password – a risk if you are using a computer that is shared by other users, such as in a library, school, Internet cafe or office.1.5 How do I change my user profile?After logging in, click on the [Edit Profile] icon at the top of the board, then click on [User Profile] and change what you want to change. Don’t forget to click on the [Make Profile Changes] link button at the bottom of the screen to save any changes!1.6 Do I have to fill in all the information in my user profile? No, only fill in the information you feel comfortable revealing.1.7 How secure is my personal information in my user profile? Anyone who reads the boards can read your profile, even if they are not registered.1.8 Can I change my username? Once you have created a user account, you may not change your user name from within your profile. (Note: on certain days, such as St. Patrick’s day, Halloween and Talk Like a Pirate Day, it was a long standing tradition on the old TORn boards to invent a slightly different, humorous user name for the occasion. That came to and end when it resulted in crashing the old boards. Good news on the new boards, however! You may create separate user accounts for those days if you wish. Since sock-puppeting (posting under a different name) is generally discouraged here (as it is bad “netiquette”), please limit your use of different user names to the above special occasions). 1.9 What is an avatar? An avatar (or icon) is an image uploaded to your profile that appears to the left of your posts under your username whenever you post on the TORn message boards. 1.10 How do I add an avatar by my username in my posts? First, make sure the image file you want to use is on your personal computer (if you found it on the internet, you must download it to your computer first). Avatars as displayed are no larger than 100 pixels by 100 pixels, so resizing images accordingly before uploading is recommended. Also, please make sure that is 65 KB or smaller. Trying to upload a larger image may result in an error message and difficulty posting (See 2.28 and 2.29 below). (Hint: converting it to a .jpeg format will help as it saves the file in a compressed format). Once you have the image on your computer, click on the [Edit Profile] icon at the top of the board, then click on [User Profile]. Find the word “Icon” and click the [Browse] button near it. A small window will pop up that will allow you to locate the file on your own computer. (Note: icons are limited to the following types of files: gif, jpg, jpeg, png and bmp). Select the file you’d like to use and click [Open]. Once you’ve selected the file, scroll to the bottom of the page and click [Make Profile Changes]. Keep in mind that whatever avatar you are using at the time you make a post is the avatar that will stay with that post for all eternity.1.11 What is a portrait URL? A portrait URL is a unique address on the Internet that specifies the location of an image file for use as a portrait in a member’s user profile (an example format for a portrait URL is http://www.example.com/path/to/file.jpg).1.12 How do I add a portrait to my user profile? To add a portrait to your user profile, click on the [Edit Profile] icon at the top of the board, then click on [User Profile]. Enter the address to your portrait URL in the box next to the words: “Portrait URL” and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on [Make Profile Changes]. If you have an image you’d like to use as a portrait, but it’s on your personal computer, you can upload it to your own website, use free hosting provided by your web browser (if applicable), or you can use a free image hosting service such as http://photobucket.com/. Please do not “hot-link” directly to a picture on another public internet site. See the Terms of Service rules for footers regarding more on hot-linking.1.13 How do I create a footer/signature that will appear in my posts? After you log in, click on the [Edit Profile] icon at the top of the board, and then click on [User Profile]. Add your footer/signature in the box next to the word “Signature.” You may have text, a photo, or both. To add a photo to your footer, follow the same steps as adding a portrait to your profile (See step 1.12 above). Be sure to click on the [Make Profile Changes] link at the bottom of the page to save any changes. Keep in mind that whatever signature you are using at the time you make a post will stay with that post for all eternity. Please see the Terms of Service for rules regarding footers (including the size of pictures in footers). 1.14 How do I set the board to reflect my time zone? The TORn message board’s default time is set to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). To set the boards to reflect you time zone, click on the [Edit Profile] icon at the top of the board, then click on [Display Settings]. Scroll down to the last option: “Time Offset (in hours).” If your time zone is ahead of GMT (London, depending on daylight savings time), enter the number of hours you are ahead of GMT as a positive number. If your time zone is behind GMT, enter the number of hours you are behind as a negative number. For example, if you live in New York, you would enter a -5; Auckland, a 13 and Los Angeles, a -8. Please note that these offsets will change when your time zone goes on and off daylight savings time. For help in determining your offset, go the World Clock on timeanddate.com, and or Google “Time Zones.”1.15 I don’t want anyone to see that I’m online ... how do I make myself invisible? After you log in, click on the [Edit Profile] icon at the top of the board, then click on [User Profile]. Where is says; ‘Visible in "Who's Online"’ select ‘No,’ then be sure to click on the [Make Profile Changes] link at the bottom of the page to save any changes. This option mimics the old boards in that you won’t be visible to other users until you make a post. This will accommodate all our lurkers (we know you're out there ;-)) who will still be able to log on, get their PMs, etc., but can still retain privacy).

1.16 I haven't received my registration validation email. What should I do? Return to the Login Page and click again on "Sign me up." Above the signup area is a sentence that reads: If you have already signed up but still have not received a validation e-mail, click here to have the validation email resent. Follow the instructions. If that doesn't work, email altaira @ theonering . net.

2Message Boards

2.1 How do I make the new boards look and act as much as possible like the old TORn boards? We’ve taken special care to configure the new boards to look and act as much as possible like the old boards. For example, the default forum view is set to “threaded” so you can see all the threads and all the replies on the board at once. Threads on the boards are sorted in the order they were created, from the newest to the oldest. Also, changing the “Default Post Display” in your [Display Settings] to “Threaded” will allow you to read one post at a time, and view the thread structure below it, just like on the old boards (See 2.12 below).

2.2 Can I still “collate” replies? Yes! In fact, you can now “collate” and read through all of the replies in a thread. While reading a post or thread, simply click on the [View Flat Mode] button at the top right corner of the post. This will allow you to read through the entire thread, though you may find it difficult to determine who is replying to whom. To remedy this, you can toggle back and forth from threaded to flat view using the [View Flat Mode/View Threaded] button and/or click on the [In reply to] link next to the subject line of the post you are reading to jump to the post being replied to. It also helps if people use quotes to illustrate specific points from the post they are replying to. For instructions on creating quotes (See 2.23 below).

2.3 Can I reply to posts that have fallen off of the board? Hallelujah, yes! Threads and posts stay active forever unless locked for some reason by a moderator; they simply move to page 2, 3, 4... etc. Eventually, threads will become dormant as they fall to older pages, so variations of a topic can be started anew. This helps preserve the “fresh, new conversation” aspect of the old boards. You can check on replies to old threads by re-sorting a board by “activity.” For more on how to do this (See 2.34 below).

2.4 Can I search old posts? Hallelujah, yes! These boards have an extremely robust search function that everyone is going to love. Simply click on the [Search Posts] icon at the top of the page, refine your search criteria, and search to your heart’s content! For your convenience, you can also access the Search function at the bottom of each board.

2.5 Can I still “mod” a post up or down? No. The “modding” function was a quirk of the old RPG board format and is not available on the new boards. From now on, you’ll have to indicate whether a post is especially worth reading the old fashioned way: by answering it! If you wish, you can answer it using the old stand-by of people who had lost their modding powers of: “*mods up.* You could also use the smiley face to indicate you liked the post you’re replying to, or the frownie face if you disapprove. But, you can no longer do it anonymously (evil grin). However, iff you don’t consider a post worth reading, please just pass it by. If the post is trollish, please alert an Admin via PM or on the Feedback board (see Terms of Service and Message Board Staff in the Welcome forum).

2.6 Is there an “ignore” list? No. If you want to avoid certain users’ posts, you’ll have to just pass them by. If you view threads in ‘flat’ mode (e.g., view all the posts inside a thread at once) it will be difficult to avoid one person’s posts inside the thread. Viewing posts in ‘threaded’ mode will help (See 2.2 above).

2.7 Are there “No Text” and Spoiler Tags? No. To indicate a “no text” post, write “nt” or “NT” at the end of your post, or simply write a forward slash “/”. To indicate a spoiler, simply write the words “Spoiler,” “Lost Spoilers inside!” or some similar variation.

2.8 Replying to posts seems slower than on the old boards. Can I speed it up? Yes. For most popular internet browsers (IE and Mozilla), the boards default to what is known as the “Advanced Editor.” When you reply to a post, the Advanced Editor gives you a toolbar of formatting options above the reply box that does all the HTML formatting for you. This convenience comes at the price of a little speed when you go to reply to a post while the Advanced Editor options load. To eliminate the delay, click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board, then click on [Display Settings] and change the “Post Writer/Editor” to “Basic Editor.” This allows you to write plain text replies, and even add a little formatting the old fashioned way, by typing it out (see Markup Help in 2.9 below). If you occasionally want to add a lot of formatting, you can take advantage of the Advanced Editor at any time during your reply by clicking the “Switch to Advanced Editor” button at the bottom of the reply box. The button will then change to “Switch to Basic Editor” so you can toggle between the two as you wish. Hint: the “Textbox width” in “Display Settings” can be used to make the “Reply to” box bigger if you use the “Basic Editor.” (See 2.12 below).

2.9 How can I get markup help? If you use the “Basic Editor” to reply to posts, you have an assortment of Markup” HTML available to format your posts. Note that instead of using the traditional <….> signs to enclose the code, Markup uses brackets: [….]. To see what’s available, or to get help while composing a reply, click on the [Get Markup Help] link at the top of the “Post” box when you are replying to a post. Remember you can also toggle to the Advanced Editor at any time if you use IE and Mozilla web browsers (See 2.8 above).

2.10 Can I use more HTML code than is available in the Advanced Editor or via Markup? Yes. Click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board, and then click on [Display Settings]. You may change your “Default Post Style” to “Plain Text Only” (Basic Editor), “Markup” (Advanced Editor), “HTML” (you may use “true” HTML to format your posts) and “Markup and HTML,” (you may use the Advanced Editor plus add your own HTML formatting in the “Basic Editor” window).

2.11 What do all the icons in the Advanced Editor toolbar do? If you use the Advanced Editor, icons are located at the top of the reply box that allow you to format text, insert links and images, etc. If you hover your mouse over any of the buttons, a text hint will appear letting you know what each button does.

2.12 How do I change my default display settings? After you log in, click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board, and then click on [Display Settings]. Here, you can change many of the default settings that were set when you registered to better suit your own viewing and posting preferences. Always remember to click on the [Make Profile Changes] link at the bottom of the page to save any changes.

2.13 How do I reply to a post? Once you are in a thread, click on the reply link in the upper right hand corner of the post you want to reply to. Fill in the “Subject” box and enter the text of your reply in the “Post” box. (Note: if you do not fill in a subject, the board will fill in a subject for you when you post your reply. It will have the format, “Re: the subject line of the post you are replying to”). You can preview your post and check your spelling by clicking on the [Preview Post] and/or [Check Spelling] buttons at the bottom of the “Post” box. When you are ready to post your reply, simply click on the “Post Reply” button on the bottom right.

2.14 How do I start a new thread? First, go to the forum in which you’d like to start a new thread. In the upper right hand corner of every forum is a “Post New” button. Clicking on the “Post New” button will open up a “Post New Message” screen. Simply fill in the “Subject” box (this is required to start a new thread), fill in the “Post” box, then click on the [Post Message] button on the bottom right when you are done. See 2.13 above, “How do I reply to a post,” for instructions on using [Preview Post] and/or [Check Spelling].

2.15 Can I make my subject line as long as I want? It’s best to keep the subject line to a reasonable size. Excessively long subject lines stretch your post out and make it difficult to read. Please use what you see on the board as your guideline.

2.16 What is an email subscription to a forum and why would I want to subscribe? If you don’t have time to read the board in bits and pieces you may subscribe to any of the forums listed, you will receive daily e-mail notifications of all the posts made in the last day. Just click the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board, and then click on [Subscription]. Select the forum(s) you wish to subscribe to, if any, and then click the [Subscribe/Unsubscribe] link on the bottom of the page.

2.17 What is a watched thread? If you want to keep on eye on any new posts in any one thread you can click on the [Watch Thread] link, found at the top and bottom of each open thread page. Once you have selected a thread to watch, you will receive e-mail notifications when someone posts a reply to that thread. To remove a thread from your Watched List, click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board, click on [Watched Threads], select the thread(s) you no longer want to watch and then click on [Stop watching selected threads].

2.18 Is there a way I can be notified when someone replies to my posts? There are three ways to be notified when someone replies to your posts: 1) If you want to be notified of replies on a post-by-post basis only, check the “Send e-mail notification on reply” box below the “Post” box before you enter a post. You will then receive email notifications for posts for which you have checked that box. 2) If you want to be notified of replies to all of your posts, click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board, then click on [User Profile]. Set “Send reply notification checked by default” in your User Profile to “Yes.” You will then receive email notifications of replies to all of your posts unless you un-check the “Send e-mail notification on reply” box below the “Post” box before you enter a post. 3) By opting to Watch a thread (See 2.17 above) you will receive email notifications of replies to any posts you have made in the Watched Thread.

2.19 What are the icons above the subject field used for? When used, these icons will appear next to the subject of your post in a given thread and may be used to add particular emphasis or reflect a mood.

2.20 How do I add a picture to a post?There are several ways to add a picture to your post. You may upload a picture stored on your PC as an attachment (See 2.21 below) or you may link to an image on your own website if you have one, or to a free image hosting service such as http://photobucket.com/. To link to a picture on your own website or to a free hosting service, Insert the image URL by cutting and pasting the URL your hosting site provides for you into your post, clicking on the picture icon on the Advanced Editor toolbar and pasting the URL into the box provided, or using image tags using the Basic Editor (See [Get Markup Help]). Please do not “hot-link” directly to a picture on another internet site. See the Terms of Service rules for “netiquette” for more information on hot-linking. If you absolutely *must* direct people to a picture on another site, please do it by inserting a link that will take people to the picture on the site. That way the site owner gets ‘hits’ for their site.

The specific guidelines for posting pictures within the message body of your post are as follows: the maximum size of any picture posted should be 525 wide x 400 pixels high (or a better measure is: 210,000 pixels squared - width x height), but no wider than 670 pixels. The maximum file size per picture should be 45k. The cumulative file size of all pictures in one post should not exceed 225k (5 pictures of the maximum filesize of 45k, 10 pictures of a filesize of 22.5k, etc.). These guidelnes apply to pictures hosted on other sites as well as to pictures posted as attachments to your post. For more detailed help on posting within a message body, check out Magpie's step-by-step TORn Image Posting Guide.

2.21 How do I upload an attachment? First of all, please note that all attachments must be 45 kilobytes or smaller. If you use the Advanced Editor: click on [Browse] next to the “Attachment” box at the far bottom left of the “Reply” box. Find the file on your PC that you want to attach to your post and click on the [Open] button. Click on [Upload Attachment]. You can stop there if you want to just leave the file as an attachment. If it is a picture that you want to insert into your post, place your cursor in your post where you want to insert the picture. Click on the picture icon in the Advanced Editor menu and instead of inserting a URL address from the internet, check the “Inline Image” option. Select the inline image you want to insert, hit the “Submit” button and voila! Your image will be inserted at the point you specified. If you use the Basic Editor: follow the steps above to upload an attachment. If it is a picture you want to insert into your post, type the following: [inline filename.fileformat] Hint: you can copy the filename and file format directly from the attachment name at the bottom of the “Reply” box. Remember, if you’re using the Basic Editor, you can also click on the [Get Markup Help] link at the top of the “Reply” box (See 2.9 above).

For Mac users: on some Macs, the file cannot be seen if there are any spaces in the filename; for example, if you have a filename "My Picture", you need to rename it "MyPicture". Use Basic Editor to upload the file: click on "Browse" to locate it, check the "Inline" box, then click "Upload attachment". Then insert the picture into your post using [Inline filename.fileformat].

2.22 How do I add a link to a post? There are several ways you can add links to a post. If you use (or switch to) the Advanced Editor, you can simply cut and paste the url address of the site you want to link into your post and the Advanced Editor will automatically turn it into a link. You can also turn text into a link in Advanced Editor by highlighting the text you wish to convert to a link, clicking on the far right “link” icon in the Advanced Editor toolbar, and pasting the url address of the site you want to link to into the box that appears. Note: You must delete the "http://" that appears in the box before pasting in your own url, otherwise the link won't work. Please convert your link to text if it has a very long url address. Otherwise it will stretch your post so people will have to scroll to read it. If you use the Basic Editor, you must paste the url address into the Markup brackets. Example (spaces used for illustration only) - To create a link: http://“http://paste the url address here” , to create a link with text: [ url"http://paste the url address here”]write your text here. Help on this is always available in the Basic Editor by clicking on the [Get Markup Help] link at the top of the “Reply” box (See 2.9 above).

2.23 How do I use the quote feature? Quoting text from a post you’re replying to can be very helpful, especially for those viewing posts in ‘flat’ mode as it will help clarify what post you are replying to. You can quote text in one of two ways. First, instead of hitting “Reply” to reply to a post, hit “Quote,” This will insert the entire text of the post you’re replying to between “Quote” lines. If the post you’re replying to is long, you may want to quote only a part of the post. To do this in Advanced Editor, hit “Reply” to get into the “Post” box. Once in the posting area, you’ will be able to see the text of the post you’re replying to below the “Post” box. Copy and paste the text you wish to convert to a quote from the post you’re replying to into the “Post” box. Then, highlight the text and click on the “Quotation” icon in the Advanced Editor Toolbar. In Basic Editor, click on the quote button below the “Post” box, copy the part of the reply you want to convert to a quote to the right of it, then click on thebox.

2.24 Oops! I made a mistake in my post … can I fix it? There is a 10 minute “edit window” that starts after entering your post. You may edit or delete your post any time during the “edit window.”

2.25 Why can’t I edit and/or delete my post?You missed the Edit Window, which is 10 minutes. If you still want your post edited, you can always PM a Forum Admin who can edit it for you. See the Message Board Staff post in the Welcome Forum for a list of the Admins.

2.26 My post is gone … why? If you never saw your post on the boards, it is possible that the post never made it to the message board system - try entering your post again. Or, it may be that your post is there, but you need to refresh your browser to see the newest list of posts. If your post was there for some time, but is now gone, it is possible that it was removed by one of the Forum Admins. If so, they will PM you to explain why. Please remember that the forum administrators have the final say as to what posts are removed (see the Terms of Service post in the Welcome forum).

2.27 My post was moved … why? Sometimes a message posted in one forum may be better suited for another. For example, a post in the Main Discussion forum may not be related to Tolkien, the movies, actors, etc., and therefore may be moved to the Off-topic forum. Similarly, comments or questions regarding the site itself may be moved to the Feedback forum. A marker will be left by the Admins on the board a post was moved from that links to its new location.

2.28 My post was edited by someone … why? A post may be edited if part of its content violates the Terms of Service of the site. Typically, if only part of a post violates the rules, the Admins will endeavor to remove only the offending words or images and leave the intent and/or points being made intact. A post may also be edited by an Admin by request of the person who posted it due to missing the edit window, and/or if they thought of changes they wish to have made to the post.

2.29 I changed my avatar, and now nobody can see my posts! What do I do? You have tried to upload a file to use as your avatar that is too big. The result is that other users cannot see your posts and instead see an error message saying: “The post you attempted to access does not exist.” If this is the case, before contacting anyone or posting another message, click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board and either change your avatar to another image (no larger than 100 pixels by 100 pixels and 65 Kb), or remove the image entirely, by choosing ‘None’ as the edit option in the Edit Profile screen. (Note: You may also need to log out and close your browser to clear the browser cache, then open your browser and log back in again before posting.) Please test your ability to post first by sending yourself a Private Message rather than trying to post on the boards directly, as no one will be able to access your post. Once you are able to read your Private Message, then the problem is fixed and you should be able to post normally on the boards. If you need further help, email an Admin (do not PM them as they wont’ be able to open your PMs either). See the Message Board Staff post in the Welcome Forum for a list of the Admins.

2.30 When I click on a post, I get an error saying “The post you attempted to access does not exist”, what do I do? Please inform an Admin of the problem. the poster of the message in a Private Message of the error and direct them to See the Message Board Staff post in the Welcome Forum for a list of the Admins.

2.31 How can I mark all the new forum messages as read? Click on the [Main Menu] icon on the top message board menu. Near the bottom left hand corner of the screen, there is a legend that explains that forums with new posts are indicated by yellow folders and forums with no new posts are indicated by grey folders. To the right of the yellow folder is a link labeled [Mark all read]. Click on that link and you’re done!

2.32 Are there different options for viewing the forums? There are two options for viewing each forum, [Collapsed View] and [Expand All Threads]. The default is set at [Expand All Threads]. You may toggle between these views by clicking on the button located next to the [Post New] button on the top of each message board. You can change the default setting by clicking on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the page, then clicking on [Display Settings] and changing the “Default Forum View.”

2.33 Are there different options for viewing threads? There are two options for viewing threads, [View Threaded] and [View Flat Mode]. The default is set at [View Flat Mode]. You may toggle between these views by clicking on the button that appears above the “Quote” and “Reply” options when viewing a thread. You can change the default setting by clicking on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the page, then click on [Display Settings] and then changing the “Default Post Display.”

2.34 Is there a way to sort a forum by the newest post first? The forums default to having the most recent thread created at the top of the forum. If you wish, instead, to see the newest posts (i.e., the newest activity regardless of how old a thread is), you can! To the far right of the forum column headings are the [Age] and [(creation)] links. Clicking on the [(creation)] link will re-sort the forum to show the threads with the most recent activity. This can be useful when you first come to the forum as a short cut for seeing which threads have been active. The [(creation)] link title will change to [(activity)] to show that you are viewing the forum by post activity. To return to the default “creation” view, click on the [(activity)] link. Note: the “Age” link will resort the threads themselves from oldest to newest and back again. You probably won’t use this link very much, but it’s there if you need it.

2.35 I’m distracted by all the avatars and footers. Is there a way to turn them off? Yes. Click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the board, and then click on [Display Settings]. If you don’t want to see avatars, change “Show other users’ icons” to: ‘No.’ If you don’t want to see footers, change “View user’s signatures” to: ‘No.’

2.36 How can I see who is online? Click on the [Who’s Online] link on the top message board menu. Note that some users have chosen to make themselves “invisible” in this list, so people may be online, but hidden until they make a post.

2.37 Is there a member directory? Yes. Click on the [Who’s Online] link on the top message board menu, then click on the text link that says [View Member Directory] to the right of the “Who’s Online” page title. Under the “Member Directory” page title are options to search for a User Name alphabetically, or by the specific User Name.

2.38 Can I sort the member directory? Yes. Click on any of the column heading names that are underlined and the directory will be sorted by that heading.

2.39 I noticed that different users have different titles under their usernames ... what do they mean? The titles listed under members’ usernames are automatically assigned by the system and are based on the total number of posts that a user has created on the message boards. They represent the journey the members of the Fellowship of the Ring made through Middle-earth and beyond, and are based on the following post counts:

These titles don't carry any authority or prestige. It’s just a fun way to “walk in the footsteps” of the Fellowship, and it also represents the fellowship we have here on the boards!

2.40 Why do some threads appear to be on fire?A thread is considered a “hot topic” thread (noted by a flaming icon beside each thread subject posted) when thirty replies are made within the first 30 minutes of any new thread posted.

2.41 Why are there little blue arrows by people’s nicks in the Last Post column in the Main Menu? The Last Post column of the Main Menu displays the nick of the person who made the most recent post to that forum. Clicking on the blue arrow to the right of their nick will take you directly to their post!

2.42 Are there posting guidelines? Yes. Please see the Terms of Service post in the Welcome forum.

2.43 Are there board moderators? Yes. Please see the Message Board Staff post in the Welcome forum for a list of moderators. As on the old boards, moderators also bear the title of Forum Admin.

2.44 Can I become a board moderator? Possibly, but there might be a large cash payoff involved. ;o)

2.45 Will you help me with my homework? No. We are fans of Tolkien who are willing and eager to discuss thoughts, opinions and conjecture about Tolkien and his writing, but we will not write your papers for you. However we'd love to see what you have written so far and enter into a discussion that helps you flesh out your ideas. Do some work, then post here - the more the merrier. We've also had entire classrooms participate in discussions and pose questions here from time to time. Having something more organized is often helpful both to students who want questions answered, and existing board members who can then easily identify the questions and questioners as 'official.' If that sounds appealing, have your teacher contact one of the Admins.

3Private Messages

3.1 What is Private Messaging? Private Messaging is a way in which you may send a private note to another board member without needing to exchange e-mail addresses.

3.2 How do I send a private message to someone? The easiest way to send a private message is by clicking on a member’s username in one of their posts, in the member directory or in Who’s Online. When their User Profile appears, scroll down and click the [Send Private Message] button. Alternatively, you can click on the [Your Mesgs] menu button on the top of each message board page, then click [Send Private Message] and select the text link that says “View Member Directory,” to choose a username.

3.3 How do I know if I have a private message? If you have a new private message, or messages, an alert will appear in bold red to the right of the [Your Mesgs] icon at the top of the board. It will display the number of new messages that are waiting for you.

3.4 How do I access my private messages? Click on the [Your Mesgs] icon at the top of the board. Click on this link and you will see both private messages you have sent and ones you have received.

3.5 How do I manage my private message folders? You can create and manage folders for your private messages much like you create folders on your computer’s hard drive. Click on the [Your Mesgs] link at the top of the board, then click on the [Manage Folders] link below your existing folder icons. From here you may add and rename folders. Instructions in this section will help you learn how to move PMs into your newly organized folders!

3.6 Can I search my Private Messages? Yes! Click on the [Your Mesgs] link at the top of the board. The PM search function is directly below the [Manage Folders] link (See 3.5 above).

3.7 Can I sort my Private Messages? Yes. Simply click on any of the headings at the top of your PM screen. They will allow you to sort by Status (read or unread), To/From, date received, and more!

3.8 Can I turn off the ability for someone to send me “Private Messages”? Yes. Click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the page. Click on [User Profile], go to "Allow Private Messages" and choose “No”.

3.9 Are private messages really private, or can TPTB read them? A bit of a general statement about computing: technically, the administrators of a computing system can read anything on that computing system. So, while it is not a policy to go through people's private messages, one should always use discretion when sending messages through any computing system. This advice is not specific to TORn, nor meant to imply anything. It is meant as generally good advice.

3.10 Do people who send me private messages see my email address? No, they do not.

3.11 Can I can be notified via email that I have a private message waiting for me? Yes. Click on the [Edit Profile] link at the top of the page, and then click on [User Profile]. Once there, go to "Send private message notification via e-mail" and choose “Yes”.

Note: HUGE thanks to Julie of the pointed ears for developing TORn 101 and hosting it for so many years! Thanks, also, to nessa, AtomicMutant, FayWraith, JPB and Altaira for developing the KongisKing FAQ which served as the starting point for this FAQ.